


Puzzle Pieces

by canidswain



Series: Batter redemption AU [2]
Category: OFF (Game)
Genre: Cuddling & Snuggling, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Living Together, M/M, Not very fun for him but Zacharie's there to keep him grounded, Oblivious Batter, Sharing a Bed, The player tries to hijack Batter again
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-07
Updated: 2020-07-07
Packaged: 2021-03-05 05:22:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,026
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25119082
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/canidswain/pseuds/canidswain
Summary: They shared the pile of bedding and pillows behind the counter, curling up around each other and slotting together perfectly. This was important for a lot of reasons, one being that Zacharie was very strong. When he wanted to, he could completely incapacitate Batter simply by holding him tight against his chest. This became very useful in certain scenarios - namely one that was happening at that current moment.The Player tries to take control again.
Relationships: The Batter/Zacharie
Series: Batter redemption AU [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1819504
Comments: 13
Kudos: 81





	Puzzle Pieces

**Author's Note:**

> A BIT SHITTIER AND SHODDIER THAN MY OTHER ONE BUT IVE HAD THIS IDEA IN MY HEAD SINCE BEFORE I WROTE MY OTHER FIC AND I WANTED TO GET IT OUT.... AND A LOVELY COMMENT BY ONE "ANA" INSPIRED ME ENOUGH TO WRITE. THANK YOU SO MUCH YOUR COMMENT WAS LOVELY.
> 
> i dont really plan to do anything Narrative with this au, just a couple of oneshots now that the actual Backstory is set up from the first fic. regardless please enjoy!!

Adjusting to life without the player was strange at first, but soon regularity melted into their days.

Since the Batter didn't have a home (neither did Zacharie, come to think of it), they settled down in the mall and put a great deal of effort into making it feel as comfortable as possible. The Elsen in zone 2 who visited would now find a pile of blankets and cushions poking out from behind the counter, books from the labrynthine back rooms left around in scattered piles on the floor and on crates, even messily-crafted beanbags shoved into a corner. Zacharie and the Batter found that they fit together quite nicely - in a lot of ways. First of all was their routines; a typical day was spent organizing stock, before Batter would hurry off to check the spectres were not getting too rampant (Zacharie would often spend this time reading - or even drawing, he'd taken up the habit of illustrating the cap-clad purifier), then return and they would eat something together. They didn't actually need to eat, but it felt comfortable to share a meal.

They also complimented each other in personality - Zacharie was talkative, enjoying the sound of his own voice, while Batter was content to listen and never grew irritated at his friend's spouting. Sometimes Batter would sit and polish his bat as Zacharie went on leisurely discussing the book he was reading that day, nodding occasionally to show his interest and posing a question when the ramble trailed off. Thankfully Zacharie didn't ever expect him to properly engage in conversation, appreciating his simple presence and comfort.

Batter thought maybe he enjoyed the third way they fit together the best. He wasn't small by any stretch, averaging around six foot something and having an athletic and lean build. But he was completely dwarfed by Zacharie - when standing at full height, Batter's four bewildered eyes only met his chin. The man was broad, fat, and muscular, and most importantly, he was a cuddler.

They shared the pile of bedding and pillows behind the counter, curling up around each other and slotting together perfectly. This was important for a lot of reasons. One was that Batter was not used to sleeping, and found on the first night they shared together that he could not figure it out at all on his own. They had set up two beds, and Batter felt remarkably alone in his and lay staring at the ceiling for hours.

After he voiced this irritation to Zacharie, the merchant proposed they share, and Batter found that his heavy breaths acted as a very effective lullaby. As did the arms loosely wrapped around him, and the warm body surrounding him, and everything else that came with sharing a bed. Batter had no trouble sleeping after that.

Mostly.

Another reason why it was a good idea was that Zacharie was very strong. When he wanted to, he could completely incapacitate Batter simply by holding him tight against his chest. This became very useful in certain scenarios - namely one that was happening at that current moment.

The two had been laying together as usual, breathing in sync, legs tangled and Batter resting comfortably in the merchant's arms. Before he knew what was going on, Batter was awake, rigid, and trying to sit upright. He was disorientated, confused, half-asleep and yet still trying to stiffly force himself upwards. He couldn't move otherwise.

The Player.

It wasn't the first time they had tried to beat the game again; there had been at least once where the two had to re-enact the entire Zacharie boss battle to scare the puppeteer off again. They were pulling at his strings again, trying to force him upright and to his feet to continue his mission. On the inside, Batter was screaming, desperately trying to regain control of his limbs, thrashing as hard as he could yet not moving an inch. Nothing translated to his face, that same stony expression dimming his eyes and pulling his mouth into a sneer.

His body moved without his permission, jerking against Zacharie's hold, which he now began to realise was getting tighter. Zacharie said nothing at first, just squeezed around the puppet's middle until he felt like his ribs were going to be crushed. Still his arms jerked, his legs scraping uselessly against the ground to find purchase and anchor himself upright. Tears began to build up in his eyes, dampening the pillow his head was crushing itself against.

The movements didn't stop - they weren't giving up, panic was gripping Batter's heart like a vice. Not as tightly as his friend was holding him, as he began to murmur into Batter's hair. The language the purifier didn't understand, but that Zacharie spoke a lot; the one that always sounded so calming and pretty rolling off his companion's tongue, when he called him "mi cielito" and "amor" and the like. Zacharie was whispering it to him now, comforting him, as his body continued to fight. Batter could not even close his eyes, but let himself drift away from the moment to simply listen and focus on the voice. It was okay, he was safe, the Player could not pilot him when Zacharie was keeping him anchored so tightly against him.

This continued on for several more minutes, occasionally having moments of brief respite before the player would resume their attempts. Eventually, finally, they gave up and his joints went slack and new breath filled his lungs. And what came back out was a sob, awful and long and loud.

Zacharie still held him close, wary the player would return. Carefully, he encouraged the Batter to face him, allowing him to nestle in under the merchant's chin and breathe raggedly against his thick throat. This would happen a lot, but it was okay.

"Te amo, my friend. It's okay. I'm here, te quiero con todo mi corazón."

Another raw-sounding gasp against his neck, Batter twisting his fingers into the sheets around them.

"Take as long as you need. You're safe, mi amor, it's okay."

Offhandedly, Batter thought it would be nice to learn what those beautiful sounding words meant.


End file.
